Woo The Messenger
by icyboots
Summary: Cloud was sure that being tasked with delivering love letters to a prince he was slowly becoming attracted to wasn't in the job description. Sephiroth/Cloud. AU. Oneshot.


This is shamelessly fluffy, but given the seriousness of the other works I'm working on, I think it can be excused.

* * *

**Woo The Messenger **

* * *

The kingdom of Jenovia was as grand and beautiful as many told, and Cloud - being from cold, old, poor Nibelheim - couldn't stop admiring the well-built houses, the beautifully designed roads, the colorful markets.

Sadly though, he couldn't stand around and gawk in a traveler's wonder; he had a message to deliver.

Not many found his messenger service a good idea at first, doubtful about why would anyone need one when every kingdom had its own. But slowly, he proved to them how he could compete with the royal messengers. His service reached across the Planet for one, and it was fast, faster than all the others because he knew the shortcuts, which monster he had to fight and which one he had to hide from. It was a dangerous job, yes, and many would say that the pay wasn't worth putting his life on the line, but the aspect of traveling and seeing new places and faces kept him going.

It was the first time he was ever assigned to deliver to Jenovia, though, and for a good pay, too.

Neo Corneos, son of Lord Corneo Corneos of Midgar, wasn't a better man than his father. He was basically a younger, more good-looking version of him, with cringe-worthy advances and insufferable arrogance, the only difference between the two was that Neo's preference was in men - as long as they were as noble-born and wealthy as him, of course.

"You know, if you weren't such a peasant, I would've taken you to my bed," Neo said considerably upon their meeting. "It's rather sad, you're very attractive."

"What a tragedy," Cloud said dully in return, to which Neo nodded in understanding.

Also, apparently, Neo didn't understand sarcasm.

But despite all the man's flaws, he paid good, and so Cloud would keep his mouth shut and deliver his message to a man named Sephiroth Crescent in Jenovia, making sure not to leave until he had reply message in his possession.

* * *

Finding Sephiroth proved to be an annoyingly difficult task. It wasn't enough that Neo didn't give him a description - it was like he expected him to know where a man in another kingdom lived or something - anyone he asked looked at him like he uttered the most idiotic thing they ever heard in their life.

He was about to call it a night and start searching again the next day when someone stopped him; a man with dark hair whose armor's intimidating look was ruined by the easy-going grin he had. "So you really don't know who Sephiroth is, huh?"

"Should I?" Was that the reason why no one wanted to help? Probably. With his luck, Sephiroth was an infamous bandit or something.

The dark-haired man's grin turned into a full-blown laugh. "Oh, this is rich!" With a smile, he gestured for him to follow. "Come on, I'll get you to him."

Cloud did as told and silently followed him, wondering why the man was heading towards the beautiful castle in the distance.

* * *

And that was how Cloud found himself, all battered and bruised and dirtied from trying to reach to Jenovia as early as possible, standing at the center of a throne-room, an entire court curiously paying him their undivided attention. It wasn't enough that his guide - "Call me Zack." He insisted - turned out to be the head of the royal knights, that it turned out that Sephiroth Crescent was the crown _prince_ of Jenovia, he was also the most gorgeous person he had ever seen - features like carved stone, silver hair long and silky, and eyes like fiery emerald. It was rather surprising; how it took his all not to blatantly ogle him.

His attempts at not trying to stare proved to be somewhat lacking, seeing that he was just standing there. "Uh, yes, I have a message for you from Midgar." He tried to hand the envelop to the prince, but he didn't take it, so Cloud was understandably confused. _Should I bow or something? Add some random prose?_

The prince cleared his throat, silencing the growing whispers, and Zack spoke of what he had in mind, "Messages aimed for the royal family are always read by the messenger."

"Oh, I see." So he made a fool out of himself by handing the message like that. Wonderful. "Sorry."

Zack gave him an encouraging smile in response, all while the prince looked vaguely amused.

As much as he wanted to open the message's envelop and read it as fast as he could and get out of here, the envelop's seal refused to break, his attempts to break it becoming a spectacle. _What did Neo use to seal it with, iron?_

Finally, he managed to get the message out, trying to stifle an undignified shout of victory.

He began reading.

**"To my dearest, loveliest, prettiest Sephiroth."** This couldn't be happening. **"You are, by far, the fluffiest of them all; like a wet cat after a raging storm..."**

It was happening, and Cloud was reading a _love _letter aloud. A terribly-written, horrifically embarrassing love letter that kept getting worse and worse with every line, his face reddening along.

He heard snickers, saw not-so-subtle pointing and Zack miraculously holding his laughter from the corner of his eye. The only unexpected reaction was the prince's; he looked thoughtful, as if concluding something from his reading.

He didn't think too much about it, for he was at the last line. _Thank everything._ **"My warmest affections and regards, Lord Neo Corneos of Midgar."**

"I expect he's anticipating a reply in return, correct?"

It had taken Cloud a moment too long to nod; the prince's voice was awfully... _distracting_. The prince turned around to whisper something to what appeared to be his attendant, the attendant leaving and returning after a few brief moments holding a paper and a quill.

From what Cloud observed, the prince couldn't have written more than a line before he folded the paper and sent his attendant to hand it to him.

Wordlessly, Cloud took it and left, vowing to never return to this kingdom ever again.

* * *

"Oh, he's wooed!" Neo cried out in joy upon reading the prince's reply. Personally, Cloud didn't think 'I'm very flattered. Thank you for your kind words.' was a reply one should be this happy about.

"You must deliver another message to him!" Neo exclaimed, grabbing his shoulders and shaking him.

Cloud wanted to simply say no, but then Neo continued, "I'll double the pay!"

He considered it, but then he remembered his utter mortification and-

"I'll triple it!"

So what if the messages were embarrassing to read aloud? Materia and potions didn't pay for themselves, you know.

* * *

The next few visits went on the same way; reading a mess of a message followed by whispers and snickers followed by the prince writing a short, generic reply and then having to deliver it back to Neo who would somehow think it meant that prince Sephiroth was deeply in love with him.

He thought this visit was the same, then the prince said, "You're invited to stay at the castle until I write a response."

Before he could protest and say that he could stay at an inn, Zack dragged him away.

"All these trips and not once did you take a look around, right?" When Cloud told him that he didn't because it would mean being late, Zack scoffed and said he'd show him around.

He didn't expect the prince to show up at the castle's gates, wearing civilian clothing and a small smile.

"I take a tour at the end of every week to see how my people are doing."

Cloud still stared.

"And I need the proper mood to write that message," he added.

If Cloud was paying any sort of attention to anything other than the fact that the object of his newly-discovered desires - because somewhere between terrible flower analogies, Cloud realized that he'd like to write a message of his own - was talking to him, he would've noticed that the prince added that last part a little too quickly.

* * *

For some reason, even when he was the one who suggested the idea of a tour, Cloud couldn't find Zack anywhere.

"So where are you from?"

He was still getting used to be addressed as a person rather than a messenger by the prince, so what he answered with could be very excused in his opinion, "Why?"

"Your accent, I never heard one like it before," the prince answered in return, graciously ignoring his awkward inquiry.

"I'm from Nibelheim, a small town in the west continent." Even after years of leaving his hometown, the accent was still there, refusing to fade despite all the places he'd been to.

He wondered if the prince thought it too odd like many before did, but as if sensing his slight insecurity, he said, "I like it, it's very charming."

Cloud blinked; it was the first time someone said that to him. "Thank you..."

It was as if a wall broke between them. Slowly, they began to engage in conversation - Cloud admiring the prince's accomplishments and dedication to his kingdom and people, and the prince fascinated about his life and travels while seeing the many sides of a kingdom he never had the time to admire.

Returning to the castle, Cloud made the startling discovery that, beneath his grand position and looks, prince Sephiroth was a respectable and very likable man.

It would've been a nice thing to discover if he was the one that was trying to court him, the one who'd written those awful messages, the one who had the wealth to back his title instead of being the messenger.

But he wasn't and so, he'd settle for whatever temporary companionship he could have.

His family's name proved to be very effective once again.

* * *

He noticed a difference in the routine - while the message reading remained the same, the prince took more time to write a reply, sometimes a day, sometimes more. Cloud would've thought that the prince was falling for Neo despite all odds and wanted to convey his feelings properly if it weren't for one simple fact: prince Sephiroth's replies were as simple and generic as ever, giving the impression that he didn't think more than a moment about them.

Another thing was that the prince always took the time to spend with him, one time inviting him for supper (why they were the only ones to show up to it was still beyond him), one time showing him the royal chocobo stables (Cloud happily showed off his impressive knowledge about chocobo breeding), and one time they engaged in a friendly spar, the prince's curiosity about how he fought the wild monsters on his travels being the trigger of it (they ended up being on top of each other in one way or another _a lot._ Cloud only hoped that the prince didn't notice how happy he was about the position).

It all made him more attached, more attracted when he shouldn't.

"You look tense," the prince noted, breaking the silence and pulling Cloud away from his thoughts. "Would you like me to give you a massage? It's a Jenovian specialty."

Oh, as if the fact that they were at a hot spring wasn't enough, now he wanted to massage him?

Gaia, if he didn't know any better, he would've thought that prince Sephiroth was actively trying to seduce him.

Ha! _As if._

"Sure, why not?" Cloud answered, trying to be as nonchalant as possible, also trying to keep his eyes above chin-level.

* * *

"It's time to change the settings of my plan," Neo declared.

"There's a plan?" Cloud asked in return.

"Of course there is, you uncultured swine!" The nobleman huffed angrily. "I was coaxing the prince so far, testing the waters, as they say. He's within my grasp now, but it isn't enough!"

Frankly, Cloud thought Neo was delusional, but he kept quiet as usual. "So what are you changing?"

The gleam in Neo's eyes didn't comfort him at all.

* * *

If he thought the previous messages were mortifying, the one he was reading was much, much _worse._

**"Oh, how I would love to have my way with you, ravish you, make you cry out in need for me..."**

Dear Gaia, what was he reading?!

While the new message wasn't as horribly-written as the ones before, it was too raunchy and improper to read in front of an entire _court_. Everyone was as shocked as he was - even _Zack_ was too shocked to be amused. He didn't dare to look at the prince, but he was sure his reaction wasn't different.

**"I would do unspeakable things to your firm buttocks..."**

This was turning more and more hellish as he read on!

**"And for our parting this time, I will give you..."**

His eyes nearly bugged out when he read the one instruction Neo made him vow to follow.

**_(Deliver him a kiss for me)._**

He heard about how people used messengers to deliver kisses for their receiving loved ones. It wasn't personal and no one thought twice about it, but Cloud was never ordered to do such thing.

Until now, apparently.

Standing before the prince, he silently asked for forgiveness before he continued, **"... a kiss."**

* * *

Cloud planned the kiss to be as quick and chaste as possible, then backing away and pointing at Neo's message as if it was the cause of everything wrong in the world.

He was planning for that, honestly, but the moment his lips touched the prince's his mind completely blanked, only focused on conveying all his frustrations and longing through that kiss. The prince certainly didn't help, returning his kiss with an even more searing one, deep and rough and absolutely _breathtaking._

It was only when the sound of throats being cleared became more and more obvious that they parted, their faces flush and eyes half-lidded. Cloud remembered about his plan and hastily backed away, his legs almost giving away from his daze.

**"... my every love and desire, Lord Neo Corneos of Midgar."**

There, he finished reading the message. Now if Gaia was so kind to strike him where he stood...

* * *

A week had passed since reading Neo's latest message and Cloud was still in Jenovia, still waiting for a reply to send back. He couldn't help but worry; while it was true that the prince took more time to write his replies, it never extended to a week. Cloud also had the suspicion that prince Sephiroth was avoiding him. He was glad about that - he still didn't know how to face him ever again - for a day or so before he grew restless.

It was only when Zack cheerfully told him that he was being summoned by the prince that Cloud sighed in relief.

His relief, however, soon faded to be replaced with dread when he saw the prince's serious expression, his voice oddly neutral as he handed him a paper, "Read it for me."

Utterly confused, Cloud took the paper and unfolded it, surprised about the unusually long reply - for prince Sephiroth, at least - before he began reading, **"Dear Neo of Midgar, I suppose I made this charade last for too long, and I have to say that I grew tired of it."**

Cloud looked up at that and the prince smiled in response. "Continue."

So Cloud did. **"I am afraid that I do not feel the same way you do nor do I think I ever will..."** Wait, did this mean that the prince wouldn't tolerate Neo's courting anymore? That his job here was finished?

Disheartened, Cloud couldn't comprehend the next part properly upon first reading, so when he read it again, his eyes widened in shock. **"I can say the opposite about your messenger, though..."**

Looking up again, the prince's smile turned into a sharp smirk. "Go on."

**"Perhaps it was the accent, the way he looked all rough and battered from his trip, or the way his face twisted in distaste upon reading your first message to me that drew me towards him. It was after a few readings that I decided to get to know him better, and I was pleasantly surprised to find that he was a very charming and interesting person, one that would easily talk to me about his life and listen intently when I talk about my own without hoping to gain anything."** This had to be a dream; there was no way that he, Cloud Strife, was reading this.

His disbelief increased as he read on. **"It was then that I realized that I was attracted to him, that I was wishing he was the one who had written your messages and expressing his feelings to me despite how awfully-written they were - no offense, of course - and so I planned to seduce him as subtly as I could."**

At that Cloud stopped reading and simply said a shocked, "No..."

Prince Sephiroth only shrugged. "I used the term 'subtle' loosely there; how many times can a person fall on top of another during a spar before it becomes too suspicious?" He smirked teasingly then. "What? Don't tell me you didn't notice how comfortable I was in that position."

Instead of answering, 'Well, no. I didn't notice because I was rather comfortable myself.' Cloud continued reading. **"I was content with being slow, until the day he realized what I was doing arrived. But then came your last message, that kiss delivery, and I was no longer happy with being content."**

**"So I have to reject your advances and make my true feelings known - perhaps even try to write more messages and wax something along the lines of 'sailing the cosmos for a glance' and hope to have a better luck than you."**

Cloud couldn't stop smiling as he finished, **"My sincerest apologies, Sephiroth Crescent of Jenovia."**

"Well?" prince Sephiroth asked casually, as if he didn't flip his world upside down and made him feel an unmatched joy to find out that his feelings were returned.

"It's the best message I read for a while, but I doubt I need more seducing or proclaims about sailing; you're a thorough man," Cloud answered, smiling before he remembered something. "Isn't it improper, though? For a prince to elope with a mere messenger?"

Much to his amazement, the prince - he should probably learn to call him by his given name, shouldn't he? - only waved dismissively. "Courting conditions in Jenovia are rather open. Take the founder for example: she was a supernatural alien life-form bent on destroying the Planet, but then she decided to settle down with many partners and rule over humans for centuries. If my people accepted her, then they can accept you."

"Oh," Cloud said simply in response, utterly mystified.

He would've probably said something else or at least thought about it, but Sephiroth - there, he said it - took him in another all-consuming kiss and he returned it in kind, this time coming from him and him alone.

* * *

As Sephiroth assured, the people of Jenovia quickly took him in, the only comment they made about him was that he was at least _normal_, making Cloud wonder about the previous consorts and partners.

When Neo heard about it - through gossip and official announcements; the message Sephiroth had written was never sent - he got upset for approximately three minutes before getting over it and thinking about the next target of his courtship, that poor unsuspecting soul being one Lord Rufus Shinra.

And so the two of them found their happy-ever-after together; with Sephiroth ruling his kingdom and Cloud still delivering messages - not out of need but out of love for his profession, meeting every once and while to catch up and be, as Zack kindly described, all over each other.

The rest, listed in Jenovia's royal records, was history.


End file.
